Who Is JD Vance?
Donald Trump's Running Mate for 20204
JD Vance seems to be, at first glance, a vision of the American Dream. He is the quintessential rags to riches story, or he seems to be. In researching him for this piece, I did find a few things about him that seem to verify that he is, in fact, the American rags to riches story. He was born in Middletown Ohio in 1984, though he was named James Donald Bowman at the time. His family was not wealthy, and his biological father was largely absent by Vance’s own accounts. He has stated in his book, Hillbilly Elegy (later made into a movie currently streaming on Netflix as of this writing) that his childhood was full of abuse, poverty, and other issues.
No child should have to suffer abuse, and that includes the young JD Vance. His mother struggled with addiction in his formative years which had him raised by his maternal Grandparents. He served our Nation in the Marine Corps as a journalist for four years, and he even deployed to Iraq during that time. He stated he did not encounter combat, but I give respect to our brave Vets for their service. Vance used his GI Bill to attend college, and thus began his upward trajectory. He applied himself, earned his law degree, and went into Corporate Law.
All of these things are commendable, and I will not take that away from JD Vance. He worked his way out of humble, and difficult, beginnings to get where he is today. He even wrote a book that became a New York Times Best Seller based on his childhood, and early adulthood. It takes determination, and intelligence, to work one’s way up the ladder when dealing so many disadvantages. I concede that point, but I have to say that is about where my praise of this man is going to end.
Instead of giving JD Vance compassion for those who share his circumstances, he seems to be uniquely callous to the plight of those who are still in the same situation. He is a staunch, conservative Republican who is anti-abortion, against same sex marriage, opposes any gun-control, and is against supporting Ukraine in their war against Russia - to name a few things. He is also openly critical, if not outright hostile, toward people who do not have children going so far as to say their votes shouldn’t count the same as those who do have children.
During Trump’s first run for president back in 2016, Vance was openly critical of Trump. He said many negative things about Trump, referred to himself as a ‘never-Trump’ guy, and even said that Donald Trump could become America’s Hitler. He flipped his view on Trump, obviously, and is now his VP pick for the 2024 election. While I do not negate the fact that people’s opinions of others can, and often do, change - this one’s quite stark and shocking.
Vance has also refused to admit that Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, he has stated he would have done what Mike Pence did not. He would not have certified the election results in favor of Donald Trump. He talks a good game, and often appears smooth when in interviews and debates, but he seems to be just another man who clings to the coat-tails of one of the worst people in American Politics to ever exist in hopes of gaining power by proximity.
JD Vance polls worse than anyone else in this election, and worse than any Vice Presidential Candidate has polled in my lifetime. There was a time he held a negative approval rating. This rating got a slight bump above negative following his debate with the Democratic Party’s nominee for Vice President, Tim Walz. Though that might seem a victory, JD Vance’s approval rating is still quite low. While people do seem to feel he did better in his debate than Trump did, JD Vance still stepped into a few minefields.
Many people have pointed out he got angry and scolded the moderators when they fact-checked him. He said, on national television, that the rules stated he wouldn’t be fact-checked. Many, myself included, viewed this as he intended to lie about everything knowing he wouldn’t be checked. It was not a good look for him, and it only got worse at the close of the debate. He was asked, directly, by Tim Walz, if Donald Trump lost the 2020 election. JD Vance talked around it, deflected, and avoided answering the question. This was very damning in the eyes of many, again myself included. Since the debate many journalists have asked him the same question which he continues to refuse to answer.
JD Vance has only been a Senator for two years, and does not have nearly the experience in elected office as Tim Walz but that isn’t always a bad thing. What is the bad thing, in my view, is the man has zero integrity. He has even admitted he would lie, and make up stories, to help the campaign. He did this in an interview and was blatant. When a man tells us he is a liar, we should listen to him. It might be the only honest thing I’ve heard come out of his mouth.
JD Vance is running for Vice President on the same ticket as Donald Trump, so his lack of integrity should come as no surprise. What does surprise me is that he managed to get his favorability out of the negatives. I wonder if he can keep it that way or if it will drop like a rock in the days to come. Either way, I think he is unsuitable for the second highest office in our land. He lacks the ability to take a stand against Trump the way Pence did - and that is precisely why he is the one running this time around and NOT Trump’s former VP. That says all we need to know.